Alliance activities

European Alzheimer's Alliance

Over the past years, a number of key activities were organised by the European Alzheimer's Alliance which meets regularly in the European Parliament for an update on relevant activities of Alzheimer Europe and other stakeholders in the field of dementia.

Amongst the various initiatives undertaken by the Alliance, we would like to highlight the following:

Alliance activities

2018

On 27 February Alzheimer Europe (AE) held a successful lunch debate in the European Parliament which focused on the prevention of Alzheimer’s disease (AD) and dementia. MEPs Heinz K. Becker (Austria), Deirdre Clune, (Ireland) Marian Harkin (Ireland), Rory Palmer (UK) and Keith Taylor (UK) all attended. Kate Irving, Professor of Clinical Nursing at Dublin City University, Ireland spoke about reducing dementia risk by targeting modifiable risk factors in mid-life and the lessons of the In-MINDD project which promotes long term brain health and prevention to at least delay the onset of dementia. Edo Richard, Neurologist at the Academic Medical Centre, Amsterdam and Radboud University Medical Centre, Nijmegen, Netherlands from the European Dementia Prevention Initiative (EDPI) a project connecting European researchers and dementia projects. Prof Craig Ritchie from the European Prevention of Alzheimer’s Disease (EPAD) IMI project who looked at what the project can offer in terms of research into prevention. EPAD is about creating a novel environment for testing numerous interventions (drugs and non-pharmacological interventions) targeted at the prevention of Alzheimer’s dementia.

2017

On 5 December Alzheimer Europe (AE) held a successful lunch debate in the European Parliament co-chaired by MEPs Heinz K. Becker (Austria) and Olga Sehnalová (Czech Republic) which focused on improving the diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease thanks to European research collaboration. Prof. Philip Scheltens, prseented Diagnosing Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s dementia: A paradigm shift thanks to biomarkers. Prof. Pierre Krolak-Salmon presented how the 2nd European Joint Action on Dementia has developed a diagnostic framework which could promote and enhance a timely diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease and other neurocognitive disorders. Dr Jyrki Lötjönen presented the decision support tool developed within the PredictND project and Dr Elisabetta Vaudano will showcase the support provided by the Innovative Medicines Initiative on diagnosis with the MOPEAD and AMYPAD projects.

On 27 June 2017, MEP Deirdre Clune hosted an Alzheimer Europe lunch debate in the European Parliament on the "Current and future treatment for Alzheimer’s disease and other dementias”. Prof. Alexander Kurz, (Technical University of Munich, Germany) highlighted the current pharmacological treatment and non-pharmacological management options. Prof. Simon Lovestone, (University of Oxford, United Kingdom) gave an update on researchers’ latest understanding of Alzheimer’s disease and Alzheimer’s dementia. Prof. Bengt Winblad (Karolinska Institutet, Sweden) gave an overview of ongoing clinical trials including preventative strategies. Dr Elisabetta Vaudano from the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI), presented the public private partnership of the Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI).

On 7 June Member of the European Alzheimer’s Alliance MEP Sirpa Pietikäinen (Finland) invited Alzheimer Europe to the European Parliament for a roundtable discussion with stakeholders from the Finnish Alzheimer Association- Muistiyhdistys ry who are also a member of Alzheimer Europe. Policy Officer Vanessa Challinor presented an overview of EU policy on dementia and recent EU actions as well as an overview Alzheimer Europe’s activities to support EU policy and research. There were also discussions about the Accessibility Act and the European Pillar of Social Rights and about research opportunities and funding for national associations or rather lack of opportunities.

2016

On 6 December 2016, MEP Nessa Childers hosted an Alzheimer Europe lunch debate in the European Parliament entitiled "Comparing and benchmarking national responses to the dementia challenge". Jean Georges Executive Director of Alzhiemer Europe presented The European Dementia Monitor-The results of Alzheimer Europe’s survey of national dementia strategies and policies. Tim Muir, Health and Social Policy Analyst OECD gave a presentation on "Measuring Dementia-An overview of the facts and figures we have now and those we need to develop in the future".

On 28 June, MEPs Marisa Matias (Portugal) and Sirpa Pietikäinen (Finland) co-hosted an AE lunch debate entitled “Using the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) to support the rights of people living with dementia” in the European Parliament in Brussels. The first speaker was Helen Rochford Brennan, Chair of the Irish Dementia Working Group and also a Vice-Chairperson of the European Working Group of People with Dementia. She was followed by Jill Stavert, Professor of Law and Director of the Centre for Mental Health and Incapacity Law at Edinburgh Napier University. The final speaker was Jonathan Stabenow from the Cabinet of Marianne Thyssen, Commissioner for Employment, Social Affairs, Skills and Labour Mobility at the European Commission.

On 30 June, Heinz Becker, MEP (Austria) hosted an Alzheimer Europe lunch debate entitled “The World Health Organisation and the World Dementia Council and global action on dementia: what role for the European Union?” featuring three speakers: (1) Dr Tarun Dua, Medical Officer for the Programme for Neurological Diseases and Neuroscience, WHO; (2) Dr Raj Long, UK Government Director for Integrated Development and Senior Regulatory Officer for Integrated Development at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation; (3) Gill Ayling, Deputy Director of Global action against dementia in the UK.

On 18 February, Françoise Grossetête, MEP (France) hosted an Alzheimer Europe lunch debate on IMI - the Innovative Medicines Initiative. The main speaker was Michel Goldman, Executive Director of IMI, who presented the current and future activities of the public-private research initiative.

2013

On 3 December 2013, Joseph Cuschieri, MEP (Malta) hosted an Alzheimer Europe lunch debate dedicated to the development of AE's "European Dementia Monitor". This initiative was presented by Jean Georges, Executive Director of Alzheimer Europe. Mr. Cuschieri noted that it is imperative to address both the stigma associated with the disease and the fact that the treatment and care of people with dementia differs between EU Member States.

On 9 July 2013, Angelika Werthmann, MEP (Austria) organised a panel discussion in the European Parliament to discuss "The challenges of Neurodegenerative Diseases (NDD) in the Workplace". The aim of the meeting was to highlight the challenges faced by people affected by NDDs while still employed and to propose recommendations for future actions.

On 18 June 2013, Marisa Matias, MEP (Portugal) hosted Alzheimer Europe's latest lunch debate, which focused on the results of ALCOVE - the European Joint Action on Alzheimer's disease. The main presentation was made by Dr. Armelle Leperre-Desplanques, project leader and Manager of the Department of Pilot Programmes at the French Ministry of Health.

On 26 February 2013, Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP (Finland) hosted AE's 15th lunch debate at the European Parliament. The debate was titled “Clinical trials on Alzheimer’s disease: update on recent trial results and the new regulatory framework”. The debate featured two speakers: Professor Alexander Kurz, Professor of Psychiatry at Munich’s Technische Universität and Mr Fabio D'Atri, an expert from the European Commission’s DG Health and Consumers.

On 26 June 2012, Liam Aylward, MEP (Ireland) hosted Alzheimer Europe's 13th lunch debate at the European Parliament. The debate focused on "Alzheimer's disease within the context of the new European public health and research programmes". Mr Philippe Cupers and Mr Jürgen Scheftlein, both from the European Commission, were keynote speakers.

On 28 February 2012, Elisabeth Morin-Chartier MEP (France) hosted a lunch debate at the European Parliament - on behalf of fellow MEP Françoise Grossetête, who is also the Chair of the European Alzheimer's Alliance. The debate was in two parts: "Innovative Medicines Initiative (IMI) in the spotlight" and "Speeding up drug discovery for Alzheimer's disease: the PharmaCog project". Ms Morin-Chartier was joined by Dr. Elisabetta Vaudano, Dr. Jill Richardson and Dr. Alexandra Auffret.

2011

On 6 December 2011, Frieda Brepoels, MEP (Belgium) and Vice-Chair of the European Alzheimer’s Alliance, hosted a lunch debate at the European Parliament entitled "Public perceptions of Alzheimer’s disease and the value of diagnosis". Jean Georges, Executive Director, Alzheimer Europe, presented a summary of the findings.

On 28 June 2011, Sirpa Pietikäinen, MEP (Finland) hosted a lunch debate at the European Parliament which presented "the Alzheimer Cooperative Valuation in Europe" or ALCOVE project. Ms Pietikäinen was joined by project leader Dr. Armelle Leperre-Desplanques.

On 15 March 2011, Marina Yannakoudakis, MEP (UK) hosted a lunch debate at the European Parliament about "European activities on long-term care: What implications for people with dementia and their carers?". Arnaud Senn and Wojciech Dziworski gave presentations on the work being done on long-term care at the European level.

2010

On 7 December 2010, Nessa Childers, MEP (Ireland) hosted a lunch debate at the European Parliament entitled "The Joint Programming of research in Neurodegenerative Diseases (JPND). What progress so far?". She was joined by Pieter Jelle Visser and Elmar Nimmesgern, who gave an update of JPND activites.

2009

In September 2009, Frieda Brepoels, MEP (Belgium) hosted a lunch debate in the European Parliament "European action on dementia" at which Antoni Montserrat and Maria-José Vidal-Ragout outlined the European Commission Alzheimer's initiatives and the proposal for joint programming for research in the field of dementia.

In March 2009, following the successful adoption by the European Parliament of Written Declaration 80/2008 which called upon the European Commission to develop a European Action Plan on Alzheimer's Disease, Françoise Grossetête, MEP (France) hosted a lunch debate in the European Parliament "Towards a European Action Plan on Alzheimer's disease" at which Florence Lustman, Coordinator of the French Alzheimer's Plan and Antoni Montserrat from the European Commission participated as keynote speakers.

2008

In December 2008, Jan Tadeusz Masiel, MEP (Poland) hosted a lunch debate in the European Parliament "The rising cost of dementia" at which Prof. Anders Wimo from the Karolinska Institutet present the findings of the socio-economic work package of Alzheimer Europe's Commission financed "European Collaboration on Dementia - EuroCoDe" project.

In September 2008, five members of the European Alzheimer's Alliance, Françoise Grossetête (France), John Bowis (United Kingdom), Katalin Levai (Hungary), Jan Tadeusz Masiel (Poland) and Antonios Trakatellis (Greece) launched a European Parliament Written Declaration on the priorities in the fight against Alzheimer's disease.

In September 2008, Katalin Levai, MEP (Hungary) hosted a lunch debate in the European Parliament "The treatment of Alzheimer's disease, current perspectives and future trends" at which Prof. Alexander Kurz provided an overview of existing treatments, as well as an outlook on current research in this field.